WWT Consulting » About us Wetland treatment systems and SuDS We are a subsidiary business of the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust (WWT) and these four service areas are derived from our parent company’s success over nearly 70 years of wetland reserve management and the operation of nine UK visitor centres. The consultancy is based at Slimbridge, Gloucestershire, UK, the headquarters of WWT, to whom it returns all profit to assist with wetland research and conservation. You can find out more about WWT on their website. WWT Consulting is committed to the environment, its staff and its clients. We are recognised as an Investor in People, hold ISO14001 certification in recognition of our environmental performance, and ISO9001 certification in recognition of our commitment to quality. Illustrious history The Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust (WWT) was founded at Slimbridge on the banks of the River Severn by Sir Peter Scott in 1946. The original vision to engage people with wetlands and wildlife has remained at the core of WWT’s aims ever since.

25 years of wetland consulting… In 1989, WWT established a consultancy in response to growing demand for the provision of professional, scientifically sound advice on all issues relating to wetlands, their wildlife and their relationship to people. Known as WWT Consulting since 2006, but previously called the Wetlands Advisory Service, the consultancy employs highly skilled and experienced staff that deliver innovative solutions to its clients. WWT Consulting operates as a subsidiary business of WWT and all profit generated is gifted back to the parent company to assist with wetland research and conservation. WWT - History of WWT History of WWT WWT Consulting WWT Slimbridge Wetland Centre is often referred to as the birthplace of modern conservation. Our founder, Sir Peter Scott, is widely remembered as one of the fathers of modern conservation. Peter Scott was the son of Antarctic explorer Captain Scott who, in his dying letter, urged Peter’s mother to “make the boy interested in natural history”. Peter became an Olympic sailing medallist and a well-known painter and broadcaster. He created the IUCN red list which measures whether species are threatened or endangered. He was the founding chair of WWF – he even drew their famous panda logo.

Peter particularly loved the wild open marshes of Britain and the mysterious geese that visited from unknown shores. He started as a wildfowler and learned to protect first the birds, and then their wetland habitats. In 1946 he set up the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust at Slimbridge as a centre for science and conservation. Uniquely at the time, he opened it to the public so that anyone could enjoy getting close to nature. Peter and his family presented the BBC’s first live television wildlife programmes from his artist’s studio overlooking the lakes at Slimbridge, from where he brought a love for the British countryside into millions of homes. WWT grew from strength to strength during Peter’s life and since his death in 1989. We now welcome a million visitors each year to nine Wetland Centres in the UK, and we undertake more research and conservation projects around the world than ever. WWT landmarks 1946 – Peter Scott opens Slimbridge, the first of nine WWT Wetland Centres across the UK.

1962 – The first Slimbridge-reared nene is released into the wild in Hawaii marking the start of the recovery of the world nene population, which had fallen to just 30. The world population is now over 2,000. 1969 – Plans to build a dam at the main area for breeding pink-footed geese in Thjorsarver, Iceland are dropped after successful lobbying by WWT. 1973 – Sir Peter Scott is knighted for his services to conservation. 1985 – WWT’s Martin Mere Wetland Centre is designated a Ramsar site for the international importance of the wildlife there – the Centre enables people from towns and cities in the North West of England to experience the special wildlife up close. 1993 – The main white-headed duck wintering site at Burdur Golu, Turkey is formally protected following a collaborative study initiated by WWT. 1999 – The long-term protection of barnacle geese at Caerlaverock by WWT and others enables the Svalbard barnacle goose population to reach 25,000 after dropping to just 300 in 1948.

2000 – The WWT London Wetland Centre is opened. It provides an oasis for wildlife and a place of tranquillity for people in the heart of London’s suburbs. 2003 – Carmarthen Bay is declared the UK's first marine Special Protection Area after WWT surveys show its importance for common scoters. 2005 – The Laysan teal, one of the most endangered species of duck in the world, is reintroduced to Hawaii with the help of WWT. 2006 – WWT opens a new eco-friendly £3.5 million visitor centre at Welney to bring communities across the East of England close to the thousands of migratory birds who share the Fens with them. 2009 – WWT brings Madagascar pochards into captivity to prevent imminent extinction (just 25 remain in the wild). There are now 50 in the breeding programme and we're rehabilitating a potential release site. 2010 – The Great Crane Project successfully hand-rears and releases 21 Eurasian cranes into the wild in England. The species has been absent in the UK for 400 years.

2013 – A three-year project begins to give help 60,000 UK schoolchildren connect with nature by providing schools in disadvantaged areas with free learning experiences at WWT Wetland Centres. 2013 – WWT’s aviculturists hand-rear 16 spoon-billed sandpiper chicks in northern Russia, which boosts the global number of fledglings by a quarter. In case they don’t make it, a small reserve flock is being raised at Slimbridge. WWT Slimbridge Wetland Cente Tourist Information You can select an alternative Place to Visit from here WWT Slimbridge Wetland Centre WWT Slimbridge is one of nine wetland centres across the UK, founded by Sir Peter Scott in 1946. Now a world-renowned reserve for waterbirds set in 120 acres. Its new £6.2m visitor centre houses a wildlife art gallery, The Hanson Discovery Centre, the Waterside Restaurant, a cinema and the Sloane Observation Tower (which provides the best view of the Severn in the whole of Gloucestershire). Wild swans from Russia come every winter and all six types of flamingos delight the crowds in Summer. 1. Visitor Centre 2.

Sloane Tower 3. Waters Edge Restaurant 4. Big Pen 5. South Lake 6. Lesser & Greater Flamingo's 7. South Finger Hides 8. Summer walkway 9. The Rushy 10. Sustainable Garden 11. Play Area 12. The Crane School 13. The Duckery 14. The Reserve A great day out With an astounding array of wildlife from Water Voles to waders, hares to dragonflies, Slimbridge is home to the world's largest collection of swans, geese, and ducks. It is also the only place in the world where you can see all six species of Flamingo. The vision of Sir Peter Scott, Slimbridge holds international significance as the headquarters of the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust (WWT) and it is here that the world renowned experts of WWT Consulting and Species Conservation are based. This leading conservation reserve of 325 hectares of internationally protected wetlands including a Site of Specific Scientific Interest (SSSI) a Ramsar Site and Special Protection Area (SPA) is managed by WWT.

A year round programme of walks, arts, events, workshops, talks and spectacular wildlife encounters are a fantastic way for everyone to connect to their natural surroundings. The award winner visitor centre, is the perfect place to relax and enjoy Slimbridge. Here you can take a trip to the top of the Sloane Tower for a magnificent 360 degree view of Slimbridge and the Severn Estuary, explore the Hanson Discovery Centre and enjoy wildlife inspired films in the cinema and art in the gallery. Take time to relax in the Water's Edge Restaurant overlooking the Caribbean Flamingos and find the perfect gift in the WWT shop. The visitor centre and grounds are also home to activities and events throughout the year. With a diverse programme which encompasses everything from arts and crafts sessions to bird watching, music festivals to farmers markets. 5 things you must do Explore the depths of the wild reserve on a Landrover Safari. Go behind the scenes with our team to see the ducklings in the nursery. Don a disguise to join the Great Crane Project. Visit the new marsh garden where cranes are being reared. Here you can help our team walk the cranes to school or even take part in some of the lessons.

Meet the Flamingos, Slimbridge is the only place in the world where you can meet all 6 species of flamingo. From autumn to spring witness the amazing spectacle of our daily wild bird feeds, as Bewick’s Swans return to Slimbridge after their long journey from Artic Russia in search of warmer weather. Perhaps this year regular visitors such as Crinkly, Teapot and Teabag may return with cygnets. WWT Slimbridge Wetland Centre Guided Country Walks in Slimbridge Church End | Walking With the Taxi Driver | Gloucestershire Walks | Walking Guide The Walks » Gloucestershire Walks » Slimbridge Church End Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust Round Slimbridge Church End Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust Round Mobile friendly version Slimbridge is a small village in Gloucester with the Gloucester and Sharpness Canal running through it. The road through the village has a bridge called Patch Bridge and this bridge is the only route to access the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust Centre.

At Patch Bridge there is a pub, The Tudor Arms which has B&B accommodation, a caravan park and on the canal towpath there is the Slimbridge Boat Station where there is a general store, cafe and boating resource centre. The canal running from Gloucester Docks to Sharpness Docks is 16 miles long, 16 feet deep and has 16 bridges. Boats and barges were originally towed by horses until steam tugs came into use in 1860. Wild Goose Lodge in the hamlet of Shephard’s Patch, close to the Slimbridge Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust Centre, is the perfect place to stay. They offer a wide range of accommodation from B&B to private and fully catered activity weeks for school groups, businesses and individual groups. They also have on-site meeting and entertainment facilities, a wide selection of catering options and a lounge bar. For more info take a look at their website or give them a call to discuss requirements they will be pleased to hear from you.

The Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust Centre, which was founded in 1946 by Sir Peter Scott, is one of the most fascinating and exciting place’s to visit, with a vast variety of wildlife. The trust is set in 325 hectares next to a spectacular Severn Estuary back drop. This reserve has land rover rides and canal safaris for guaranteed close sightings of the wildlife in the wetlands and then there’s the Wellie Boot Land play area for the children to play while you relax and lots more to explore such as the all the wildfowl, wading birds, otters and tropical house etc. This nature reserve is suitable for wheelchair users and pushchairs. Church End which is situated at the south end of the village of Frampton on Severn is a pretty place with a large church, thatched cottage, a 15th century Tithe Barn and Splatt Bridge, a swing bridge, is close by. The village is a Conservation Area and is well worth a look round to see the cruck cottages, Georgian and Victorian buildings. There are also two pubs.

The Walk We park in the village of Slimbridge and walk down the left side of the church and walk straight ahead through the fields and pass the golf course on the right until we come to the road. At the road we turn right and then take the path immediately on the left to go over a foot bridge over the River Cam we turn left and follow this river until we come to another bridge which we cross and then follow the footpath through the woods. After leaving the woods we come to an open field here we follow the track straight ahead then left and then make our way to the farm. We go through the farm turn left onto the farm track and then turn left at the road. We pass the Tithe Barn and then head for the church we then follow the footpath to the canal we then walk a short way to cross Splatt Bridge (swing). After crossing the bridge we turn left and follow the canal to Patch Bridge (swing). Here we turn right and head for the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust. We then spend the afternoon here, about 4 hours but could have spent a lot longer here, it’s a bigger place than you think and there is a lot to see and do.

We leave and walk back to Patch Bridge, we then cross over the bridge, go past the pub and follow the road back to Slimbridge village. Terrain This is an easy flat walk. Distance Approx 5.75 miles using OS map OL 14. Add an extra mile to visit the Wildfowl and Wetlands Centre. Location Conservation pioneer Sir Peter Scott's Slimbridge home to open to the public - BBC News BBC News Conservation pioneer Sir Peter Scott's Slimbridge home to open to the public 10 February 2016 Image copyright D Attenborough Image caption Peter Scott (left) showed David Attenborough (right) around Slimbridge in 1962 The former home of the "patron saint of conservation", naturalist Sir Peter Scott, is to be opened to the public. The nature reserve at the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust (WWT) at Slimbridge, Gloucestershire, which he helped found, will also be developed. Sir Peter, who died in 1989, built his home near the Severn Estuary in the 1950s so he could observe wildlife.

The WWT has been given a £4.4m Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) grant towards the £6m scheme. Image copyright WWT Image caption Peter Scott's house includes a large window in order to observe wildlife on the lake Image copyright WWT Image caption Sir Peter helped to found both the Wildfowl and Wetland Trust and the World Wildlife Fund The BBC's first ever natural history programme was presented by Sir Peter live from the lounge in the house in 1953. Other new attractions will include an aviary and theatre, more observation hides, access to WWT's conservation duckery and the original cottage on the site will be turned into a multimedia centre. Image copyright WWT Image caption The public will be able to see items such as Sir Peter's original binoculars which are still in the lounge of his home Image copyright WWT Image caption Sketches of the panda logo Sir Peter designed for WWF and the swan logo he designed for WWT are displayed inside his former home Sir David Attenborough, who was inspired by Sir Peter's pioneering TV career, said he was the "patron saint of conservation".

"Long before words like biodiversity were coined, Peter looked out from that huge window in his house at Slimbridge and realised our lives are so linked with our natural world that we have to learn to love it and look after it. "I think it's wonderful that absolutely anyone will be able to sit in that same window in future years and feel just as inspired." Image copyright WWT Image caption Peter Scott's last painting is still on its easel in the studio at Slimbridge Image caption Peter Scott filmed the BBC TV programme Look at Slimbridge between 1955 and 1981 Sir Peter, whose father was the Antarctic explorer Capt Robert Falcon Scott, helped to found the WWT as well as the World Wildlife Fund (WWF). Much of the house remains as it was when Sir Peter died, and the public will be able to see items such as his original binoculars and his sketches of the panda logo he designed for WWF and the swan logo for WWT. WWT needs to raise a further £1.6m towards the full cost of the project and work on it is due to start in late 2017.

Media captionPeter Scott presented programmes from his home at Slimbridge Sir Peter Scott: •The only child of Antarctic explorer Captain Scott who famously instructed his wife to "make the boy interested in natural history" •Named after Peter Pan - his godfather was author JM Barrie •A famous broadcaster, he commentated on the Queen's coronation, presented the first BBC nature television programme and the first BBC wildlife documentary filmed in colour in 1963 •Was an accomplished artist.

His best-known painting Taking to Wing was printed 350,000 times as a picture or on Christmas cards and table mats •He was British gliding champion, won a bronze Olympic medal for sailing and was a national championship standard ice skater •As an inventor, he invented the trapeze that racing crews use to hang from a sailing boat, the rocket net which catches birds, and he helped design the camouflage used by British World War II warships •The first person to be knighted for services to conservation, in 1973 Image caption Peter Scott (left) was interviewed in 1947 for the radio programme The Naturalist by Desmond Hawkins, who later founded the BBC's Natural History Unit Image caption David Attenborough and Peter Scott filmed at Slimbridge in May 1962 Sir Peter Scott's legacy lives on at the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust | Environment | The Guardian Conservation Sir Peter Scott's legacy lives on at the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust The conservationist realised that his reserves would thrive if he encouraged people to come, rather than keeping them out Art by Peter Scott in the studio in the Scott House at Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust, Slimbridge.Photograph: Martin God

win for the Guardian Thursday 10 November 2011 08.55 EST First published on Thursday 10 November 2011 08.55 EST Share on Messenger Close Dave Paynter is telling the crowd a love story about Dario and Bridges.

Dario's long-term partner became ill last winter, and after waiting behind for as long as he dared, last spring he abandoned her and flew back to Siberia. A few weeks ago he returned with a new partner, Bridges. The staff at Slimbridge reserve are waiting to see if the relationship bears fruit, but Dave, the reserve manager says he fears the relationship is "flakey", to titters from his audience in the bird hide. It is feeding time on Rushy Pen pond at the Slimbridge nature reserve in Somerset, and this is part of Dave's daily banter with the paying visitors who watch from the huge, heated hide as thousands of ducks, geese and the famous Bewick's swans swoop in a squawking shimmering silvery grey flock across the water towards his barrow of grain. It is also a scene that captures all that is sometimes frowned upon but often fun, and always idiosyncractic about Slimbridge and what is now the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust charity, which was founded 65 years ago by Peter Scott. "It's been described as the birthplace of modern conservation and I would support that, definitely," says Martin Spray, WWT's current chief executive.

"Particularly as conservation has realised the importance of getting people in, and he was trying to do that at a time when people were still putting 'keep out' signs on nature reserves." Spray, along with Scott's eldest daughter, Nicola Starks, are sitting in the window of Scott's studio. Behind them is a spectacular picture window over the ponds and a pewter autumn sky – a window once made famous by Scott's broadcasts from these very seats for his early wildlife TV programme Look, from 1951-1981 – describing how a keen hunter and shooter of birds came to be considered one of the fathers of modern conservation. Sir David Attenborough himself has described his contemporary as a "patron saint" of conservation . "He was a very interested duck shooter, and that was how he got to spend a lot of time with birds," recalls Starks.

"He came down here and saw a bird that was injured out on the mudflats and because the Severn is particularly dangerous he couldn't go out and do anything for that bird, and he thought he wasn't going to shoot any more, so he didn't: his conservation became the most important thing and the experiences he had had previously were in getting him out into the countryside and learning about nature, which he did all his life." Scott bought some land nearby, between the Gloucester-Sharpness canal and the estuary of the River Severn, dug ponds and began to build his collection of water birds and wildfowl from around the world, and the building that was to become his family home and the centre of his eventually global charity. Within a few years wild birds began to accumulate too, and these are now an important part of the reserves, especially when thousands visit on their annual migrations. At Welney in Norfolk up to 9,000 swans and ducks arrive each autumn.

Ducks, geese and even swans might not seem a glamorous attraction, but the opportunity to view so many birds close up – a far cry from the image of twitchers huddling in hides for a far off glimpse of something hard to identify – was quickly a success. "What Pa was saying was if you put collective animals in easy to see positions people would start to see the differences and similarities, and become more interested," says Starks. "I think that would show in the visitor numbers and the membership numbers" – now 1 million and 200,000 respectively. A further testament to the popularity of Scott's idea is the WWT now runs eight other reserves around the country, and is advising other countries on setting up similar organisations. It also continues his more political conservation work, campaigning around the world to protect wetlands and their ecosystems from threats from poverty to climate change. "The four pillars on which he based the organisation were conservation, research, education and – the unusual one at the time – recreation," says Spray. Scott had achieved much before he died of a heart attack in 1989, just before his 80th birthday.

The son of the Antarctic explorer Robert Falcon Scott, who died when he was just two, and Kathleen, a sculptor, he was a successful artist at a young age, got a Distinguished Service Order medal for bravery in the Royal navy in the second world war, wrote books, presented early radio and TV programmes, got a bronze medal for sailing in the 1936 Berlin Olympics, helped set up the World Wildlife Fund, and campaigned successfully for the Ramsar treaty to protect wetlands, protection of the Antarctic, banning of whaling, and the Red List of endangered species. A line that from his biography that shows what sort of man he was states that he took up gliding in 1956, and became a British champion in 1963. As well as being a workaholic, Scott was obviously charismatic. "Nobody could say no to anything Pa wanted them to do," recalls Starks. Spray also recalls the only time he met Scott, in a noisy room full of people at the Wildscreen festival in Bristol: "He walked in and it went absolutely silent, people just waited for him to come around and meet him.

He came up and I introduced myself and he said to me 'have you met the Aga Khan?'. He had the Aga Khan with him." For all this, it is Slimbridge, and Scott's years of painting, writing about and recording the birds there for which he is most remembered. Scott's famous studio is now the chief executive's office ("the best office in the world," Spray agrees), but it is still almost entirely as he left it: a copy of one of his oil paintings of the reserve is on the easel and many more hang around the walls, books cover one end of the room, curios are everywhere, from models of his longboat to a personally-designed fireguard wrought with Bewick's swans. Under a painting of a famous swan of the past, Lancelot, is the original hard-backed book where Scott drew or painted the unique faces of every Bewick's Swan that visited the ponds outside his window over the decades, and gave them all names – one of the longest running studies of its kind. Early on, the names were traditional – Rebecca and Amber; later they got more imaginative – Cider, Dusky Boy, Mr Right and Lefty.

Scott grew up among celebrities – J M Barrie, the author of Peter Pan, was his godfather, and the Queen was an early visitor to Slimbridge and is now the WWT's patron. But at the same time, Spray's aunt remembers Scott selling tickets on the gate, and Starks says she used to muck in, putting up fences or helping in the giftshop, where when she got bored she would hide pet slow worms under popular postcards and watch for the reactions of unsuspecting visitors. "People never felt uncomfortable in his presence," says Starks. "When things started it was incredibly friendly, and everybody came for Christmas lunch: it wasn't a big deal, it was just what happened." This was the ethos of Slimbridge and now of the whole WWT, says Spray, who took over seven years ago with a promise to staff to try and keep the friendly and campaigning sides of the organisation alive. Today, Starks thinks her father would be lobbying about the global threats to fresh water, and growing materialism and a disconnection from the natural world he loved so much.

"He would probably have been sitting with the protesters at St Paul's, but I'm not sure: he might not have had time." But the bird-feeding spectacle is still the beating heart of what happens. "There are a lot of ducks here that don't need to be fed," concedes Starks. "But it's all part of a spectacle: it really is quite something to see wild birds that close, and that was really what Pa was all about: he wanted people to be able to enjoy them and feel a connection with them." History | WWF History History In Memory of Our Colleagues In 2006, a helicopter carrying WWF staff members Dr. Chandra Gurung, Dr. Harka Gurung, Jennifer Headley, Yeshi Choden Lama, Matthew Preece, Dr. Jillian Bowling Schlaepfer and Mingma Sherpa as well as other conservation leaders crashed in Nepal, killing all 23 passengers on board. In 1961, a limited number of organizations around the world—such as the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) and The Conservation Foundation—were trying to meet conservation needs, but were desperately short of funds.

The first call for broad support was the Morges Manifesto, signed in 1961 by 16 of the world’s leading conservationists, including biologist and African wildlife enthusiast Sir Julian Huxley, IUCN vice president Sir Peter Scott and director-general of the British Nature Conservancy E. M. Nicholson. The Morges Manifesto stated that while the expertise to protect the world environment existed, the financial support to achieve this protection did not. The decision was made to establish World Wildlife Fund as an international fundraising organization to work in collaboration with existing conservation groups and bring substantial financial support to the conservation movement on a worldwide scale. From 1961 to Today 1960 1961 World Wildlife Fund was conceived in April, 1961, and set up shop in September, 1961, at IUCN's headquarters in Morges, Switzerland. H.R.H. Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands became the organization's first president. h H.R.H. Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, in 1961 became president of the British National Appeal, the first national organization in the World Wildlife Fund family. u World Wildlife Fund, Inc.

(WWF)—the U.S. appeal—became the second national organization to be formed in 1961. The giant panda becomes the logo for WWF. h Launch of WWF at the Royal Society of Arts, London, September 28, 1961. From left to right: Peter Scott, Lord Hurcomb holding a panda, Julian Huxley and Jean Baer. u In its first year, the Board approves five projects totaling $33,500. Early projects include work with the bald eagle, the Hawaiian sea bird, the giant grebe of Guatemala, the Tule goose in Canada and the red wolf in the southern United States. h WWF also finances Ambassador Philip K. Crowe's 1961 mission to Central America and Mexico, during which the ambassador meets with government officials to build support for conservation. u Another project in 1961 helps Colombian conservationists establish a small nature reserve. These efforts supplement WWF support for the conservation programs of IUCN, the International Council for Bird Preservation (ICBP) and WWF-International. h Incorporated in the District of Columbia on December 1, 1961, WWF-U.S.

names Dwight D. Eisenhower its President of Honor. u Ira N. Gabrielson and Russell E. Train were the first president and vice president, respectively, of WWF-U.S. h WWF hires its first scientist, Dr. Thomas E. Lovejoy, as a project administrator, in 1973. u WWF grants $38,000 to the Smithsonian Institution to study the tiger population of the Chitwan Sanctuary in Nepal, allowing scientists to successfully use radio tracking devices for the first time in 1973. h WWF purchases 37,000 acres adjacent to Kenya's Lake Nakuru. Nearly 30 bird species depend on the lake, including a million flamingoes for which the lake is the principle feeding ground in 1973. u The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna & Flora (CITES) is negotiated in 1973, with Russell E. Train leading the U.S. government delegation as Chairman of the White House Council on Environmental Quality.

h To date, the CITES international agreement has been signed by over 170 nations that are committed to working together to ensure wild plant and animal species are not threatened with extinction by uncontrolled trade and exploitation. u WWF starts to focus not only on species-related conservation projects, but also on protecting habitat by establishing national parks and nature reserves. h 1974 WWF begins awarding the annual $50,000 Getty Prize for outstanding contributions to wildlife conservation in 1974. The Prize increases to $100,000 in 1999 and focuses on the education of future conservationists. u 1975 WWF in 1975 helps create Corcovado National Park, located on Costa Rica's Osa Peninsula. Corcovado contains 13 major habitat types and is the best example of a Central American tropical forest now under protection. h 1976 WWF and IUCN in 1976 create TRAFFIC, a wildlife trade monitoring network that works to ensure trade in wild plants and animals is not a threat to the conservation of nature.

u 1980 With critical support from WWF and the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), the IUCN in 1980 publishes the ground-breaking World Conservation Strategy, stating that humanity exists as part of nature and has no future unless nature and natural resources are conserved. h 1983 Finca La Planada, a 3,700-acre farm in Colombia, becomes a nature reserve, thanks to the joint efforts of WWF and the Colombian Foundation for Higher Education in 1983. La Planada is a tropical moist forest with tremendous floral and faunal diversity. u WWF establishes the Primate Action Fund in 1983 to support short-term needs that lay the groundwork for larger investigations—particularly important for conservation work in tropical countries where primates originate. h WWF's long-established support of projects in Africa is strengthened by the creation of an Africa program and a formal tie (since discontinued) with the African Wildlife Foundation in 1983. u 1984 In a New York Times editorial in 1984, WWF vice president Dr. Thomas E. Lovejoy sets forth the concept of using Third World debt reduction to protect the environment.

Through these "debt for nature" swaps, WWF will convert portions of national debts into Funds for Conservation. h School children across the U.S. respond to WWF's 'Pennies for Pandas' campaign in 1984, donating more than $10,000 for panda conservation. Nancy Reagan personally delivers the gift to the Chinese government during a visit to Beijing. u 1985 Building on 1980's World Conservation Strategy, WWF in 1985 launches Wildlands & Human Needs, a program that demonstrates the economic circumstances of rural people who share their land with wild animals can improve without degrading the natural habitats. h WWF in 1985 expands conservation programs in Asia and Africa, showcasing the new Annapurna National Park in Nepal and strengthening projects to protect mountain gorillas in Rwanda. u The Conservation Foundation, a New York, and later Washington, DC – based conservation policy institute, formally affiliates with WWF-US in 1985 – a merger which is completed in 1990.

h 1986 The Mexican government in 1986 protects as an ecological reserve the area where 100 million Monarch butterflies converge each winter, representing a tremendous victory for Monarca, a WWF supported organization created by local citizens just six years ago. u WWF celebrates its 25th anniversary in 1986 with a convocation of leaders from different faith traditions in Assisi, Italy. h On the island of Madagascar, the greater bamboo lemur - thought to be extinct since 1972 - is re-discovered by WWF-sponsored researchers in 1986. WWF also helps reintroduce the Golden Lion Tamarin to Brazil's Atlantic Forest. u WWF's wildlife trade arm, TRAFFIC, launches an extensive publicity campaign to combat illegal wildlife trade in 1986. h WWF helps create the first national park in Bhutan by transforming the Manas Wildlife Sanctuary in 1986. u 1987 WWF in 1987 is instrumental in creating the Cockscomb Jaguar Preserve, which protects one of the largest jaguar populations in Central America, as well as the endangered scarlet macaw.

h WWF helps establish the Guaraquea Ecological Station in 1987, and a 770-square-mile protected area surrounding it, in the Brazilian state of Parana. Extensive mangroves and primeval Atlantic forest in the area shelter the endemic Chau parrot, among other wildlife. u In partnership with the Frankfurt Ecological Society, WWF in 1987 undertakes a comprehensive ecological study of Serengeti National Park, providing essential information about wildlife population dynamics and habitat. h WWF and the Malawi government work together in 1987 to assess the environmental impact of traditional fisheries and to provide villagers in Lake Malawi National Park with viable economic alternatives to ecologically damaging fishing practices. u 1988 WWF in 1988 arranges a $3 million debt-for-nature swap in Costa Rica, as well as additional swaps in the Philippines for $2 million and Ecuador for $1 million. h WWF collaborates with Cultural Survival in 1988 to help Ecuador's Awndians gain title to their homeland in the tropical forests near the Colombian border, and to manage their wildlands productively.

u WWF's innovative Lumparda Elephant Project in 1988 leads to a sharp decline in poaching of elephants and black rhinos in Zambia, by establishing an adjacent buffer zone for economic activities and employing local people as scouts to protect wildlife. h 1989 WWF's campaign to save the African elephant in 1989 plays an important part in the decision by CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) to enact a ban on the ivory trade. u WWF arranges a $2.1 million debt-for-nature swap for Madagascar in 1989, with the help of a $1 million grant from the U.S. Agency for International Development - the first major U.S. government support for a debt-for-nature swap. h 1990 WWF and The Conservation Foundation merge in 1990, formalizing a relationship that began in 1985 when The Conservation Foundation first affiliated with WWF. u WWF convenes the Cooperative Working Group on Bird Trade in 1990, bringing together the pet industry, aviculturalists, zoos, animal welfare organizations & conservationists.

The group recommends that the U.S. end the import of most wild-caught birds for sale as pets. h 1991 WWF in 1991 helps create the Enterprise for the Americas Initiative, which to date has gene- rated more than $150 million in conservation and development funding from the proceeds of restructured government-to-government debt in seven Latin American countries. u With support from WWF, TRAFFIC opens an office covering eastern and southern Africa—the heart of elephant country—in 1991. h 1992 WWF in 1992 begins creating "conservation trust funds" for a number of high-priority conservation areas. These trusts act as foundations, providing stable, long-term funding that can meet a country's recurrent environmental costs. u 1993 WWF in 1993 completes a $19 million debt-for-nature swap in the Philippines, the largest such swap ever undertaken by a nongovernmental organization. h WWF in 1993 helps create the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) to find solutions which promote responsible stewardship of the world's forests.

FSC grows to a global network of more than 40 offices in the United States and around the world. u 1994 WWF launches the Russell E. Train Education for Nature (EFN) Program in 1994 to build capacity for conservation in Africa, Asia, and Latin America by supporting academic and mid-career training. To date, EFN has awarded over 1000 scholarships and grants. h WWF in 1994 initiates and leads the effort of mainstream environmental groups to secure congressional approval of the North American Free Trade Agreement, the first trade convention to address the environment. u 1996 WWF in 1996 works with Malaysia and the Philippines to establish the Turtle Islands Heritage Protected Area, the world's first transborder marine protected area for sea turtles. h Our Stolen Future, written by WWF senior scientist Theo Colburn and two colleagues, is published in 1996. The book gives a vivid account of the discovery that some man-made chemicals disrupt the endocrine system in wildlife and humans. u WWF negotiates a debt-for-nature swap in Madagascar worth $3.2 million in 1996.

Funding is provided by the Dutch government. h 1997 WWF in 1997 launches the Living Planet Campaign, a new vision for preserving Earth's biodiversity. The centerpiece of the campaign is the Global 200, a framework of more than 200 terrestrial, marine and freshwater ecoregions. u World Bank President James Wolfensohn in 1997 introduces a partnership with WWF to bring 500 million acres of forest under independent certification as sustainably managed by 2005, and to establish an additional 50 million acres of new forest protected areas. h The government of Nepal declares Kanchenjunga, the world's third-highest mountain, as a special conservation area in 1997. u Several Canadian oil companies donate 320,000 acres of exploration rights off Canada's Pacific Coast to establish a new marine preserve for orcas, sea otters, starfish and hundreds of other marine species in 1997. h WWF and Unilever in 1997 establish the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) to assure the long-term sustainability of global fish stocks and the integrity of marine ecosystems.

Two years later MSC becomes a fully independent nonprofit organization. u 1998 In a pledge developed through the WWF-World Bank Alliance, the president of Brazil in 1998 commits to provide legal protection for 10 percent of the Brazilian rain forest, an area greater than all of the national parks in the contiguous United States combined. h WWF plays a key role in persuading Ecuador to enact a sweeping new law to protect the Galapagos Islands in 1998. The law creates a marine sanctuary around the islands to a 40-mile limit, bans industrial-scale fishing in the area and ensures tourist revenues support conservation. u Namibia in 1998 establishes the Communal Area Conservancies Program, designating four communally-run nature conservancies covering 4.2 million acres of critical wildlife habitat. h These new conservancies are the first stage in the creation of a broader network of conservancies under a WWF-cosponsored conservation initiative called LIFE (Living in a Finite Environment).

u 1999 WWF in 1999 helps craft and secure support from the fishing industry for a proposal to establish a 186-square-nautical-mile no-fishing zone in the Dry Tortugas within the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. h WWF in 1999 convenes the Yaounde Forest Summit in Yaounde, Cameroon. At the Summit, six African heads of state jointly announce plans to create 12 million acres of new cross-border forest protected areas in the Congo Basin. u WWF establishes Climate Savers, partnering with leading corporations to help them reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. h WWF and Fundacion Vida Silvestre Argentina in 1999 are instrumental in winning passage of legislation to protect a 2.5 million-acre forest corridor connecting existing reserves in Argentina's Misiones Province and neighboring Brazil. u 2000 In 2000, The number of forest acres certified under the principles of the FSC reaches 44 million, including 6.4 million acres in the United States.

h The President of Brazil's 1998 pledge to create 70 million acres of new protected area in the Amazon expands in 2000, with a new commitment to strengthen the management of an additional 30 million acres of existing protected areas. u International standards for fisheries management are established in 2000 under the MSC. Certified Australian rock lobster comes to market, and Alaska salmon, which represents more than six percent of the total annual U.S. fish catch, is certified as well. h 2001 Central African nations in 2001 surpass commitments made at the Yaounde Summit. These governments established nearly 13 million acres of protected areas in the Congo Basin, and are giving special attention to anti-poaching and sustainable forestry. u In the Terai Arc of the Eastern Himalayan lowlands, WWF in 2001 spurs progress toward the ambitious goal of creating wildlife corridors linking 11 protected areas between Nepal's Royal Chitwan National Park and India's Corbett National Park, an area of 12,160 acres.

h The government of Nepal has doubled the size of Royal Bardia National Park to nearly 450,000 acres in 2001, and hundreds of thousands of tree seedlings have been planted in two priority restoration corridors. u 2002 The Amazon Region Protected Areas (ARPA) program launches in 2002. ARPA , an initiative of the Brazilian government spearheaded by WWF, will triple the Amazon protected areas system over the next decade. h The Brazilian government creates Tumucumaque National Park in the Brazilian Amazon in 2002, and WWF commits $1 million for its management. This 9.4 million-acre park is the largest tropical park in the world. u A debt-for-nature swap will provide $10.6 million for the conservation of more than 27.5 million acres in the Peruvian Amazon. h Funding for the swap is generated through an unprecedented partnership between WWF, Conservation International, The Nature Conservancy and the U.S. government. u 2003 WWF secures a $53 million commitment from the U.S. government in 2003 for the new Congo Basin Forest Partnership.

Working with six African governments, science-based priorities are defined for protecting species and habitats in the region. h After three years of intensive work by WWF, the 1.7-million acre Chandless State Park is created in 2003 in the Brazilian Amazon. u The Global Environment Facility (GEF) in 2003 officially endorses WWF's Africa Stockpiles Program initiative and makes a $25 million commitment to the program, which aims to clean up and safely dispose of more than 50,000 metric tons of obsolete pesticide waste stockpiled throughout Africa. h 2004 Negotiations by WWF and partners in 2004 culminate in funding to protect nearly 11 million acres of tropical forest in Colombia through a $10 million debt-for-nature swap and $15 million from the Global Environment Facility.

u A new census in 2004 shows WWF efforts to protect African rhinos are paying off: there are 3,600 black rhinos, a substantial increase from the 2,400 left in the 1990s—and 11,000 white rhinos, up from fewer than 100 a century ago. h WWF and partners in 2004 launch the International Smart Gear Competition, encouraging the design of innovative fishing gear to reduce accidental deaths of marine mammals, birds and sea turtles. u WWF and the Chinese government in 2004 release the most comprehensive study ever done of pandas in the wild, showing nearly 50 percent more pandas than previously thought. h 2005 WWF's Board of Directors in 2005 adopts a 10-year goal: to measurably conserve 15 to 20 of the world's most important ecoregions, and in so doing, transform markets, policies, and institutions in order to reduce threats to these places and the diversity of life on Earth.

u WWF in 2005 establishes the Mesoamerican Reef Trust Fund, benefiting Belize, Honduras, Guatemala and Mexico. It is the first conservation trust fund to be implemented on an ecoregional scale. h WWF supports the American Prairie Foundation’s acquisition of 31,320 acres of land in Montana for wildlife restoration. In conjunction with a continent-wide effort to save the American bison, this iconic species is reintroduced to the land after an absence of 120 years. u In the wake of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, WWF develops Green Reconstruction Policy Guidelines in 2005 to be used by the American Red Cross as a blueprint for reconstruction efforts. h 2006 WWF in 2006 defeats a proposal for the world's largest oil palm plantation, which threatens to destroy the last remaining intact forests of Borneo. Governments of Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei commit to the Heart of Borneo declaration to conserve and sustainably manage the forests.

u WWF in 2006 engages with Wal-Mart on sustainability efforts focused on its supply chain, including MSC certification of all fisheries, participation in the Global Forest & Trade Network, Mining Certification Guidelines, Better Cotton Initiative and other agriculture-related issues. h WWF in 2006 supports the declaration of the 4.7 million-acre Juruena National Park in the Amazon. With this new park, a total of 33 million acres of new strict nature protection and 18.5 million acres of new sustainable use areas have been created since ARPA's inception in 2002. u WWF in 2006 receives the largest gift in its history, $34.6 million, from the estate of H. Guy Di Stefano. The donation is earmarked for projects with potential for large and immediate impact on WWF's worldwide conservation efforts h 2007 WWF and The Coca-Cola Company in 2007 announce a $20 million partnership to focus on seven important river basins, global supply chain and water use efficiency in its bottling plants. u WWF in 2007 helps Russia establish two new national parks in key tiger habitat.

Covering 419,000 acres, these are the first parks in the region to balance conservation and recreational uses. h At the meeting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation in 2007, all 21 heads of state in attendance, including U.S. President Bush and Indonesian President Yudhoyono, commit to advance the Coral Triangle Initiative on Coral Reefs, Fisheries and Food Security. u WWF in 2007 forms the Climate Savers Computing Initiative with Google, IBM, Dell, Intel and others, establishing new efficiency standards for computers that will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 54 million tons per year. h WWF organizes the first Earth Hour in Sydney, Australia in 2007. u 2008 The largest debt-for-nature swap in Madagascar's history is agreed to by the governments of Madagascar and France in 2008. The swap allocates roughly $20 million over five years, and is part of a global effort led by WWF. h In direct response to a WWF-led campaign, Staples, the largest office products company in the U.S., ends its relationship with Asia Pulp & Paper (APP) because of its poor environmental practices.

u WWF helps Bhutan create the 1,442-square mile Wangchuck Centennial Park, the second-largest park in the country. With the creation of this park, 49 percent of Bhutan's land cover is protected. h Governors of Sumatra's 10 provinces sign an agreement pledging to restore critical ecosystems in Sumatra and protect areas with high conservation values. WWF will help implement this political commitment. u In 2008, Earth Hour goes global, becoming the world’s largest environmental activism event. h The U.S. House of Representatives passes H.R. 2454, The American Clean Energy and Security Act, marking the first time a house of Congress has passed legislation limiting greenhouse gas emissions. WWF helped draft language in the bill addressing forest carbon, clean tech and adaptation. u WWF, Fundacion Carlos Slim (FCS) and the Mexican government launch the Alianza Mexico, an initiative to establish Mexico as a global model for conservation. The Alianza plans an initial $100 million investment from FCS and other donors to support conservation.

h The 10-year Regional Coral Triangle Initiative (CTI) Plan of Action, which sets steps to address growing threats to the region's wildlife and habitat, is agreed to at the CTI Leaders' Summit in Indonesia. WWF was intimately involved in the development of the plan. u 2010 Year of the Tiger: TX2: The Year of the Tiger campaign, WWF’s first species specific global campaign in more than 20 years, launches with the goal to double the number of tigers by 2022. h

Question: Slimbridge Wildlife Reserve was founded by whom?
Answer: Peter Scott